Race 4 Eight Legends – Where Are They Now
WPH Press, Tucson, AZ, 12/7/23
We love our favorite Race 4 Eight pros, but they eventually stop hitting aces and kill shots and retire. The WPH is thrilled to bring you the Race 4 Eight Legends – Where Are They Now, as we catch up with what our favorite pros are doing in their Race 4 Eight retirement.
On Race 4 Eight Legends – Where Are They Now with Marcos Chavez, we catch up with one of the game’s most beloved players whose career spanned four generations of handball greats. Marcos discusses where he lives now, his new business, his favorite memories of playing the pro tour for twenty-five years, his favorite players to watch, who he would like to play, who he considers to be the greatest to ever play, how much he still watches the tour and much more. This is a can’t miss opportunity to hear from one of the game’s most well respected and admired players.
Where Are They Now – Marcos Chavez
Marcos Chavez was born in Norwalk, CA, living in Norwalk until his early teens. The Chavez family eventually moved to Cerritos, CA and Marcos moved to Buena Park in Orange County as an adult.
Marcos hung up his gloves after a two-decade plus pro career at the 2020 R48LTE RFC in Pittsburgh in February of 2020, defeating Vic Perez to advance to the semifinals of his last pro start. “I miss those times, on the tour so long and it was time to give back to my family after being away so much for handball,” stated Marcos.
After working with his dad for many years, Marcos started his own business in 2021. Digi Flex prints labels to put on products for clients that include grocery stores and candles, in addition to customizing shirts and custom Owen Gloves, headbands, arm sleeves. “Digi Flex is a way to stay in handball and keep in touch with people in the game,” stated Marcos.
For more on Digi Flex, visit digiflexnow.com or follow Digi Flex on Instagram @digiflex_solutions_
Q&A with Marcos
What is your most proud accomplishment on the handball court?
Winning my first open doubles felt really good winning an open titles, seeing players before you like Vince, Tati, Chapman, John Bike, to win one like they did was pretty awesome
Winning the open (national) doubles with my coach Vince Munoz and that was really special. When I came back to handball my father threw me to him. I did not know what he was ranked at the time, he was #2 and I was a low A player at the time. Being known as one of those pro players
Top 8 was cool but winning something and looking back on it now was the thing. It’s all about friends. Winning an open (national) doubles with Norm Dunne was my second biggest accomplishment (after winning with Vince). Winning with Sean Lenning was really fun and a great accomplishment and we won many.
What do you like to do now in place of playing 20 handball tournaments per year?
Spending time with my wife and family and daughter. We just settled in our place in Carpinteria (CA). My daughter has a job at a donkey farm and my wife and I go hiking and ride bikes and we love it. The weekends are having fun and hanging out and bbq-ing and watching UFC, it’s been nice.
Do you still play handball now?
I still play, I just have not been playing as much. I miss playing with the guys at the LAAC. The best top player I play now is Dylan Hernandez on the weekends in Ventura and I play as hard as I can and it helps him being on the pro tour. I was playing John Bike before he went to Minnesota. I was playing Brian Coronado before he went to Minnesota in Santa Barbara. I miss the game
What do you miss most about playing the tour?
I miss everything about it. I miss walking into it. I miss the plane flights, the airports, knowing that I am going to go to a tournament, the hotels, I miss it all. I miss going into a club and looking around and seeing the people in there and the faces of the people. I miss being on the court and people watching me play and showcasing what my abilities are and were at my age after I finally stopped playing. I was able to play for such a long time. I just miss the whole camaraderie. Maybe someday I’ll go back and hang out and maybe play on the senior tour. The pro tour is not something that really interests me anymore. I think I put my time in there. Being away from the game for so long I don’t think I could ever do it again. I miss so much about it, my second home was the pro tour. There is a lot I miss, Dave (Vincent) and the WPH crew, Linda Manning, the camera guys, the announcers, everybody. It was a fun gig
What is your greatest memory from playing the tour?
Just the pro tour in general. Beating David Chapman in Des Moines, IA. It was unbelievable. I remember that’s when they made the game to 11, it was best of five and we went all five games. Beating someone who was at the top of their game at that period of time when it wasn’t even the WPH tour. I beat David Chapman when he was at his peak, I believe. That was a super great memory. I always teased him about it. To this day I have videos of him and I chatting and it was funny because I just looked back at it the other day showing a friend and saying how cool it is that I have it as a memory, him talking smack to me. His (tournament) roommate Bob from Chicago that used to stay with him all the time, he thanked me and said, “thanks a lot, now you left me with the bill for the weekend because David Chapman left.” I couldn’t stop laughing about that one. Loved the guy and we miss him of course. That was awesome.
Do you still watch and follow the tour now?
I definitely do. I throw it on ESPN3 and I watch it online. I even watch old matches. I still love the game so much. I love watching these kids, these new kids that are the new top eight and that are trying to strive to get into the top eight, I love watching that, like Ivan (Burgos), he’s been really fun to watch. Dylan Hernandez, I really have been rooting for him to do well with his situation and his best friend (Daniel Badillo). I know he’s doing it for him (Daniel) and his pops. Being able to play him, I really cheer him on. You’ve got the Cordova brothers, who I love watching. Luis has been just dominant lately. Then we miss Killian Carroll. From my point of view, it’s like a soap opera (with my understanding). The tour really has players that could be at the number one position and it’s not just one person, it’s a number of players that can win a pro stop now. It’s not like when Paul Brady was there and he won so many in a row. Now it is more open (and not knowing) who is going to be there in the finals. So I’m still a big fan, huge fan.
Who do you still like to watch and follow on the tour now?
I like watching the local (CA) guys Dylan and John Bike, Jr. It was nice to see Vic Perez do well. All the new kids, like Ivan, these guys are trying to make it to the top eight. Those are the guys I like to watch because they are hungry, that’s the new players coming on. I love watching the Cordovas, Mulkerrins, mostly the guys trying to make it to the top eight, those guys from ten to eight always fighting for ninth.
Who was your favorite person to play on the tour?
I guess it depends which era. I used to love playing John Bike, Jr. when I did. Man, that guy was a monster. I remember playing him in Michigan in singles in the quarterfinals. It was a great match. I used to love playing that guy. I didn’t like playing Vince too much because I would always play him. Chapman was fun to play and all of the top players. You start talking about the other players like Norm Dunne, Matt Hiber, those guys were six and sevens back then and Sal Santa Ana, Tommy Little, those were the guys I really enjoyed playing because we were all trying to get into that top five of players. It was a fun time.
When the tour changed, it was playing younger guys like Vic Perez, Kevin Pettus, just a number of players trying to get on the pro tour and also trying to get me out. Those were the guys back then. I know there were so many players that wanted to get me out of the top eight and take that position from me and I always enjoyed that, especially with the new WPH tour, like Luis Cordova and Daniel Cordova and all those guys that had such great talent and Vic Perez. It was a fun run and I loved it.
Being a fan now and seeing all of the new faces on the tour since you retired, who would you most like to play for the first time?
The faces that were there (when I was playing) are in the top five (now). Mulkerrins, David Fink, Luis Cordova, Daniel Cordova, Sean and Killian, those guys are the top six guys. The guys I would like to play would be Ivan, would be Sam Esser, those are the guys I would like to play because that is the position I was in and I would like to see where I am at as if I were a top eight player and fighting with them on the court to try to win a game to try to keep my position in the top eight. I’d like to play those two guys and there are some other guys like Dylan and Jab trying to break in but those two guys (Ivan and Sam) are the ones I would really want to play. I see them playing and they are very exciting to play and they are very exciting, mostly Ivan to me.
Ivan is coming on really good. He’s playing great handball. I actually challenged Ivan (in September). I heard he was coming to the Masters (in CA) with some friends so I told him I wanted to play him singles so I bet him a $100 match and I guess he never came so it never happened. I told him when you get here (to CA) I want to be the first person to play you and we’ll play for $100. I just wanted to see where I was at. I think I have a pretty good chance but I know the guy is quick. Maybe I could beat him, maybe slowing down the game like I used to.
How did the game change from when you broke onto the tour in the 1990s compared to when you were playing the Race to now?
The difference I see, every generation learns from someone. I’d say Naty (Sr.) was our Michael Jordan of handball. He brought in that fly kill and that smooth left. And seeing Vic Herschkowitz and Jimmy Jacobs but they weren’t as smooth as Naty. Then you would see Poncho Monreal, Vern Roberts, Jon Kendler, these guys were ambidextrous. Then you had John Bike the young guy on the tour then. Then it moved on to the Tati and Vince era, those guys were smooth as well. It all started with Naty (Sr.) I feel. Watching everybody grow the game, grow the game. Chapman was just so good, then you would see Paul Brady. I remember playing him (Brady) and thinking, damn what can I do with this guy. Chapman was good but you could play in his game a little bit. He would do the lob and keep you in the rally a little bit but with Paul Brady it was just so different. I think he was the GOAT. Naty was Michael Jordan but Paul Brady was the GOAT. He was an era in an era where he played the young and the old and was able to travel and had so many more opportunities and how handball grew in Ireland. After that it was Sean Lenning and Allan Garner and these kids trying to get even better then Killian Carroll comes in.
I remember playing Killian Carroll in Tucson for the first time seeing him there and he has me like 13-1 or 13-2 and I remember being on the court with him and not knowing who this guy was and not knowing also that he was going to be the number one player on the tour and the new “guy” (I lost the match with him). My point is I play these players not knowing who they are and they end up being the number one player. But remembering that time when I did play them for the first time not knowing who they were really then understanding, wow, that guy was special. Knowing that they were special, the Chapmans, the Paul Bradys, the Killian Carrolls and so and so on and Martin, he’s special, Cordovas are special, Sean, it’s amazing how I was able to see all of that and play all of those guys. The one guy I didn’t get to play was Naty (Sr.). I played Poncho, I played a lot of guys. Danny Bell. It was fun, super fun.
Thank you to Marcos Chavez for spending time in the Race 4 Eight Legends Corner and reliving what made playing the tour so special for him.
Relive Marcos Chavez interviews from 2020 HERE and 2014 HERE (on Patreon)
Stay tuned for more Race 4 Eight Legends – Where Are They Now
Check out more Race 4 Eight Legends – Where Are They Now HERE